Teacher gender depresses salaries?

As of December 12, 2007,

"Gender diversity in teaching – Males comprised 24.4% of public schoolteachers in 2006. Many of them taught in Kansas (33.3%), Oregon (31.4%), Alaska (30.9%) or Indiana (30.5%). States with the lowest percentage of male faculty were Arkansas (17.5%), Mississippi (17.7%), Louisiana (17.8%), South Carolina (17.9%), Virginia (18.8%) and Georgia (19.3%). Wisconsin ranked 12th in the nation (27.6%). " [NEA, 12/12/07]*


Has someone researched the correlation between low percentages of male teachers and lower salaries [adjusted for cost-of-living] on a state-by-state basis?

The deeply, deeply entrenched sexism in our society may account in part for this phenomenon. Notions that women make better caretakers, that teaching is just glorified childcare and other like attitudes contribute to the complex of issues. And, it is possible that men flee this profession, or fail to even consider it because salaries are lower, thus continuing a cycle. Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

The issues of social class, gender, and public perception affecting teachers' salaries are not easily unravelled. They include (and are certainly not limited to):

• attitudes towards teaching/teachers [caretakers, babysitters, "anyone can do it"]
• lower salaries compared to similarly educated peers
• character/qualities of people drawn to teaching (nobility, compassion)
• those who do not need the income drawn into teaching because they can afford to do it
• teaching regarded as an entry into the middle class by minority/disenfranchised groups, contributing to willingness to accept lower salary

Looking elsewhere, in Russia, the medical profession--specifically the pool of MDs--has a higher percentage of females than in the US. And the relative salaries (compared to cost of living ) are also lower. In Russia. Where women are more likely to be doctors.

Let the research begin. An excellent place to start is this brilliant examination of the subject:

"The Feminization of Teaching in America," by Elizabeth Boyle:

http://web.mit.edu/wgs/prize/eb04.html

(Amusingly, "blogpost" does not recognize feminization as a word....)


* from the NEA, via The Wisconsin Education Council
"The complete report can be found at http://www.nea.org/edstats/images/07rankings.pdf"


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Before we get our panties in a bunch--we are not asking anyone to self-identify as a feminist or in any way to embrace a world-view with which they have problems.

However, don't you want to know what might be driving your salary into the ditch?